Mrs B

Walking through a certain store at lunch time today I overheard a woman say to a small child “you can choose one small chocolate bar …………… and then we’ll go and buy you some proper food for your lunch …………………………… like a sandwich ………………” As I’m nebbing and thinking what a sensible person this is to be encouraging healthier eating and small treats, my illusion was ever so slightly tarnished as she continued without pause for breath “or some chips or crisps or something”.

Can I hide on here and ask if anyone has a homity pie recipe. I daren't start any more threads asking for the weird sounding recipes I seem to need in my life!

Whoops. My loaf has hit the top of where I'm proving it. Rescue mission currently in progress!

Spins, I am delighted your wedding turned out better than expected. I so often find myself building up huge expectations to some events which don't live up to what I thought whilst things I think will be dreadful turn out to be a quite a laugh. The physio says I should be keeping moving. Specific suggestions are swimming, indoor rowing, and baking is also on the agenda. Just not the hurty things. I am doing all my windmilling exercises as well. I have no Rykat chasing me! I did try to say to the bed "change your own sheets" but it really didn't work - I did refrain from turning the mattress. I am trying to ignore the heap of ironing - fairly successfully. And I've decided that Tigger and Daisy will have to make do with mind games today - I can't guarantee that they won't get spooked on a walk and pull my shoulders to pieces. Mind you, looking at their zonked out positions at the moment, the games seem to have worked. I've knocked up a few blueberry muffins for the Dogstar fund tomorrow. Shortly to be joined by a coffee and walnut cake, I think. I'm just experimenting to see if I can replicate a fruit and cherry bread that we bought on holiday in Ireland. It's the first time I've just used the dough only cycle on the breadmaker, so maybe reaching into the top cupboard in search of a 2lb loaf tin might not have been the best idea. The bread is currently proving -(I hope). At least it's only something for us, so it doesn't matter if it goes horribly wrong. The great thing at the moment is that I'm working off a keyboard on my knee, which is much more comfortable. Just wondering if I can persuade work that lounging on the sofa whilst typing on the keyboard is the way forward. I still seem to be typing gibberish! Off to find some chocolate medicine and to peek at the bread dough.

I should be replying to lots of these new threads that are appearing, but I am hiding here as I am all hurty shoulder and as soon as I sit down in "keyboard position" I am all ouch. My nice physio man says I am back to square one but worse, which does explain why I am extra hurty - so I gave him a cake. I am off to do jobs involving lots of windmilling movements in the hope that I can come back later for a catch up. Dare I hang the washing out .........

OH thought of buying me one a while ago, but detected from the wrinkling of my nose that this might not be the most welcome gift. Yet another interested to see what folks say - I think I am now at the point of perhaps thinking I could use one some time - but don't think it would meet my current requirement of being able to be read in the bath. Just one thought, not sure what type of book your husband reads, but is it worth checking a few titles of the sort he does read to see if they are available for download. Not sure how it works, but have a feeling that some types of titles are not yet available.

Hope you're having a lovely day, and are being spoilt rotten.

Your sky's better than my sky this morning Missy Merle. Beautiful Ben and Dex Safneo, off to see where on the worldwide member's map you are to see if you are within tasting distance of a lime cake. The news that I thought I was going to have the other day arrived, was not good, but was inconclusive so Mr B and I are now playing a very stressful waiting game which could carry on until next week. Visit to Physio this afternoon. Think this could be an 'interesting' conversation. Had a busy morning so far doing some of the jobs I normally do tonight so I can bake instead. Actually what I should be doing in any case at the moment is wrapping flapjack - and I've remembered that my 'plan' for the morning is to be at the supermarket by 6.30 am so that I get my shopping over and done with. Better get my paws going.

So far it seems we have more hilarity over what people say about dogs than anything ........... so I'll continue the trend. To set the scene you do need to know that I have the deaf breed of dog in this house, so the two questions I am regularly asked are - Does your dog bark? (Anyone who has ever met my dogs knows the answer to that question! ) And, the other one is a slightly sad one I feel - "What is the point of your dog having a name?"

Ball Breed Recognition Crisis Alert. Is this an April Ball, an October Ball or is it really an August Ball?

Griff, do your dogs need gluten free? If so, I'll try to have a hunt at the weekend to see if I can find a "dog muffin" recipe for you. Or do you just want to share scones with your dogs. One suggestion for cutting out soggy scones is an ice cream scoop apparently - which I just happen to have. Just off into town for my lunch walk, which looks as if it will involve visiting the library to see if I can spot any recipes there. T'internet is just confusing me!

Glad someone managed that for me this morning. 'Fraid it is me, not Max (what a Muppet eh?!) And I am sure it is me who has contributed to the confusion, not you! Technically of course I could have a week off. However in terms of how I would feel leaving my colleague to cope with everything that is kicking off at work just now is something else - August really should not be as horrendously busy as this! However my boss now keeps asking how my shoulder is feeling and is asking me what "we are going to do about it". Third physio session tomorrow - so I will ask him (the physio that is - I'm becoming paranoid about writing rubbish) what he thinks. Just off out to buy a microwave heat pad thingy as suggested by my boss. I did point out that the only microwave in our house lives in the back of a wardrobe. She reminded me that we have one in the office which I can use!

I've been asked to make some gluten free plain scones for tomorrow, and just wondered if anyone had a recipe that they have used that they know works. I have 'done' gluten free baking before, so have a cupboard full of ingredients - and this person is just avoiding gluten rather than having any other stringent requirements. The two websites I normally refer to don't actually have a scone recipe, and I'm a bit concerned that, as gluten free mixtures need to be sloppier than normal, the cutting out of the scones is going to be a bit of a challenge. Anyway, if anyone has a recipe that they know works, I would be delighted if they could post it here for me. Otherwise I'll have to stick a pin into those available on the web search.

Morning. Suzanna Many congratulations Alex. That's on passing, and with a credit, rather than doing whatever penance you've agreed with Helly! Dogstar's Lime Cake is all gone - my 'on a diet boss' had the last piece yesterday afternoon - we agreed it needs more lime zest next time, but that was just being picky! So I've just taken a dozen double chocolate muffins out of the oven (sorry Owl). They don't look bad if I do say so myself. Someone wants a dozen gluten free scones for tomorrow, so just off to do some research. Might even start a new thread! Max dosed on paracetemol yesterday. It didn't work. Perhaps I'll swap to the Ibuprofen today. I have a (genuine) feeling that a week off work would actually do the most to cure the problem.

Rumpole That is too tough. Thinking of you. Merledogs. Perhaps you should head round to the examiners with a bunch of Fugees and jump up and down on them until they ping your results over to you? I have lots of ramblings, but I'm about to have a s..t day at work, so I'd better start cracking on. By the way Owl, not me with the pussy cats - if you ever meet Daisy you would understand one reason why not. It's Mags who's having her cats tested. Bit concerned there's no news.

Mags Thinking very good test result thoughts. And for Andy too. Congratulations on two weeks nicotine free day - especially as you've not had an easy two weeks.

Well the beginning of October is eight weeks away ....... so it is do-able if I can find some core fitness! If I can manage 10k or so in the next week, I think I can work up to 'managing' a half marathon in October - let me know your date as soon as possible and I'll try to devise a training plan. Unfortunately, as far as indoor rowing is concerned, all training plans concentrate on short distances, 2k especially, or whole marathons, so I'm somewhat on my own for the planning.

Morning. Rumpole have some more for Baby Spin and her proud Grannie. Hope daughter is OK and C not too bad. Sam, ditto all other offers of proof reading - probably have less time than some, but am somewhat addicted to sorting out the correct placement of dots, dashes and so on. By the way, you have the correct "bear" on this occasion. I am currently cooking a coffee cake - one of my work colleagues ordered it for her Mum yesterday. Few more pennies in the Dogstar box. Now need to think what I should be doing instead of sitting here not doing stuff!

Rumpole Alex - yes I do remember the rescue GSD posts. Such a shame to see this has gone this way. Hope you can find a decent rescue to take her on. Owl, it is a sin not to like chocolate. RMF I have found noooooo customers for my charity cakes - 6 slices went up the stairs to Finance this morning. RMF2 I am waiting and waiting and waiting for some news - which could be good or bad - and the day of 'the news' keeps moving, but the word is it is today. The lack of news at the moment is making me very twitchy!

I would really like to do a half marathon - on the indoor rower (Concept2) - any time this year. Seeing as, for all sorts of reasons, good and bad, I'm not actually doing anything on the indoor rower just now, this thread could be just the kick up the ........ I need to get on and do it. Perhaps I should aim to do it at the same time as Murtle.

Morning. I hate starting the working week knowing it is going to be "a challenge". Sorry Rumpole, I missed your post. San, I had noticed you landed in Lincoln from time to time - but on the basis that Fugees don't come to Lincoln I assumed that this was a Sally Sat Nav error. Do you think any unsuspecting guinea pig will help me try out my recipes for chocolate mayonnaise cake and chocolate coca cola cake? I keep looking at the recipes, but haven't managed to find any loonies to try themtest them on anyone yet.

Which reminds me of the time Tigger decided he needed to test my iced lemon cake, and had demolished a good quarter of it before I wondered why he was being so quiet! However as the cake was destined for a 'doggy do' I cut generously around the Tigger chomp and 'fessed all to the doggy folks .......... who found it highly amusing and tucked into the cake anyway. Now then, why oh why am I trying to find a 'cheap' source of plastic cake slice boxes as a fun occupation on a Sunday evening ........ ? Especially as this is proving to be a rather expensive looking recreational habit. Not as expensive as suture buying though!

ChickenTikka Please do get someone in to make the electrics work properly again. And have plenty of cake and alcohol for the shocks. Sam, that is exactly what I wanted. Off to see if I can conjure poster type thingys. For tomorrow we now have Banana, Orange and Honey Cake, Strawberry Yogurt Cake and a made up recipe of Lime Sponge with Buttercream and Lime Glacé Icing which I need guinea pigs for - especially as Mr B thought it was ginger sponge!!!

I am currently recovering from the shock of reading Pingu's first post and thinking "oh, perhaps I'll go off and do that ...... what a good idea" and managing it first go, and then reading how difficult I should have found it. This is very very very very worrying, as I am most definitely technologically challenged. I am now going to go and look what I have done wrong. (Apart from not having found my street on the map!)

"Mrs B, on 31 July 2010 - 10:45 PM, said: Would you like lots and lots of Fugees to suggest them? HLGS can't hurt Spins4me, on 31 July 2010 - 10:46 PM, said: Just had a look at the site How do you pay for all this stuff? (As in how is it funded not do you use a credit card?) HLGS well we have lovely supporters who help with donations towards the monthly bills and since i have stopped working my redundancy payout helped rather a lot plus we do stands and stalls at weekends ( we have one tomorrow ) and people sponsor dogs etc Sutures are not cheap ( that site is actually very cheap for Vicryl the brand we use ) and I do beg short dated supplies from Vets and even hospitals when I can to keep the old costs down. I buy most of the other drugs in Sri Lanka but things like injectable Metacam comes from the UK and thats not cheap ( £ 50 a bottle at cost ) plus I have to pay and renew my user and import licence every 6 months Equipment is the killer cost , we are currently trying to raise the £1250 we need for a microscope , additionally I need another 5k to finish kitting out the clinic part of the new building and buy more surgical equipment ( WSPA are hopefully helping me with that ) " Sam, I haven't been able to quote this back properly as July's RMF thread is closed, but just to let you know that I am off to create a demand on EasyFundraising for 'esuture' to be added to the list. Meanwhiles, I have decided that I will donate profits from my August Cake Sales at Work to Dogstar - hope this doesn't raise your expectations too high as I just leave cakes on a desk and hope to come out with a tenner or so at the end of the month for charity. To my way of thinking it's a tenner more than you would have had! If you had 5 minutes to put a spiel together of "Dogstar is currently fundraising for .......... with perhaps a few £10 will buy X, £20 will buy Y, I'll put that in a prominent place on the desk, and perhaps use it to suggest to people that is what I am aiming for. Think I still have a Dogstar leaflet Mr Squirrel e-maileded to me some time. RMF Whilst I was doing some jobs upstairs I suddenly had this thought that I was going to sort out all my little paper cake cases - you know for muffins and petit-fours and the like, 'cause they were all over the cupboard annoying me. In my house it is always a good idea to do jobs when I have 'the urge'. Having decided this would take me a good half hour, it actually took me a good two minutes! Just off upstairs to find a suitable box to store them all in now.